Marin at center of new federal plan to restore coho populations

LOCAL, STATE and federal officials and biologists gathered Monday in the San Geronimo Valley to celebrate a plan that aims to recover coho salmon populations in Marin and throughout the Central and North Coast of California.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service has finalized the plan that will serve as a road map for restoring the endangered central and northern California coho salmon — Oncorhynchus kisutch — to coastal rivers and streams along the state's coast, including Lagunitas Creek in Marin.

"You still are one of the few salmon strongholds," Chuck Bonham, director of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the gathering of more than 100 people at the San Geronimo Valley Golf Course.

The ambitious federal plan — which became final in September — aims to restore coho over 50 to 100 years and would cost about $1.5 billion to implement all its actions.

"It's little pieces at a time to get it done," said Rod McInnis, regional director of the fisheries service. "We are at a particularly precarious spot in their status. We can achieve populations that are self-sustaining and not on the brink of extinction, and that's where we need to go."

In the past 50 years the fish have had a difficult time overcoming the natural perils of drought, poor ocean conditions and predation as well as human impacts such as development around creeks and streams.

The plan identifies specific actions that can be taken around the state, including in local watersheds, such as Lagunitas, Walker, Redwood and Pine Gulch creeks.

Among the steps suggested in the plan: increase spawning, pool and channel habitats; remove barriers; increase the amount of wood in streams; improve shade to cool streams; decrease the number of roads near streams, and reduce the impact of remaining roads.

While the plan does not provide money, it will enable local agencies and groups such as the Marin Municipal Water District, the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network, Marin County agencies and others, to get funds, officials said.

"The coho's time is not up and we are the people to give the coho a chance to recover," said Brian Stranko, regional director of the Nature Conservancy, which helped shape the plan, adding that recent efforts have paid off. "We have seen fish return to places they have not been seen in decades."

Coho salmon were once abundant in the tributaries along the central California coast, from Aptos Creek near Santa Cruz in the south, to Punta Gorda above Fort Bragg in the north. Historical records estimate populations were as high as 400,000 as late as the 1940s.

But as human population and development increased along the desirable coastal areas, coho numbers plummeted to fewer than 6,000. In 2009, just 500 fish were counted in the region. The federal government listed the species as threatened in October 1996 and in June 2005 it was re-listed as endangered.

Marin's Lagunitas watershed has one of the largest remaining populations of wild coho salmon in Northern California, though the fish virtually vanished in the county three years ago. But this winter the coho's migration from the ocean has been on the upswing.

So far 350 coho salmon have been seen this winter in the Lagunitas Creek watershed, along with more than 200 redds, or egg nests. The redds seen this winter represent a four-fold increase from three years ago. This winter's run also is the largest count since the winter of 2006-07.

"We are really seeing some success," said Cynthia Koehler, a member of the Marin Municipal Water District board, which oversees many of the waterways in the county where coho live.

Marin County Supervisor Steve Kinsey said the best way to help the coho is by spreading the word on their fragile condition.

"We will never have the resources to enforce our way into a restored population," Kinsey said. "The only way we are ever going to achieve the goals that we have is to extend this passion we have with everyone we come into contact with."